Dam.



J. U. WHBELON.

DAM.

APPLIOATIONIILED SEPT. 30, 1910.

1,008,760. Patented Nov. 14,1911.

4 SHE ETSPSHEETI.

E R WITNESSES INVENTOH Jain Cfi'WZeeZam J/w y 1 By E f ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 110.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

J. G. WHEELON.

DAM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1910.

Patented 11101114, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

170/222 (fl/Q6520 A TTOHNEYS WITNESSES l Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

m H m 8 1 4 M 7MB J J. G. WHEELON.

J. 0. WHBELQN.

DAM.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT. 30, 1910 Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

4 SHEBTSSHEET 4.

- 0 72 fieelom Z%/WZ/% u. By Z a V ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN CAMPBELL WHEELON, 0F GARLAND, UTAH.

DAM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. WHnELoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Garland, in the county of Boxelder and State of Utah, have invented a new and Improved Dam, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to hydraulic engineering, and its object is to provide a new and improved dam having a collapsible crest, which can be raised or lowered at will to permit flood waters to be safely discharged over the dam with the utmost safety to the dam and-all the head works and controlling works connected with the water way.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and'combinations of the same, which will be more fully described herein after and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is .represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement; Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front face view of the same, parts being broken out; Fig. 4 is'a side elevation of the improvement and showing means for collapsing the crest of the dam; Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section of the improvement on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, and showing more particularly the hinged connection between a frame and a race-way section, and Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation of a modified form of the connections between the stanchions and runway sections.

The base or body of the dam is built across the water-way, of solid masonry, timber or other suitable material in the usual manner, and on the top of this base A is held a collapsible crest B made in sections, each forming a complete unit of the collapsible crest, the sections being collapsible independent one of the other, and the members of the sections being arranged to allow of storing the same on the top of the base A when the crest is collapsed.

The detail construction of the collapsible crest B is as follows: On the top of the base Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 30, 1910.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

Serial No. 584,668.

A are arranged the girders C and D, of which the girder C is located on the upstream side thereof, the said girders extending the entire length of the base A and being firmly secured thereto. Between the girders C and D are arranged the supports E and E bolted or otherwise fastened to the top of the base A, and carrying yokes F and F, on which are pivoted the side members G and G of supporting frames G, made in an inverted U shape, that is, having the side members G and G connected with each other at the top by a cross bar G By the arrangement described the supporting frames G are pivoted between the stringers C and D and hence can be swung into the space or pocket formed between the stringers C and D at the time the crest is 001- lapsed, as hereinafter more fully described.

A brace G serves to reinforce each support ing frame G. The supporting frames G are adapted to support a run-way H, made in sections, of sheet metal, each section being provided at its sides with angle irons, forming rails for the wheels I of a wheeled derrick I to travel on, and on one'end of each run-way section are arranged rings H through which extends a corresponding cross beam Gr of a frame, so that this run-way section is hinged or pivoted on the corresponding supporting frame G. The free end of this run-way section is adapted to rest on brackets G bolted or otherwise fastened on the cross bar G of the next following supporting frames Gr, so that each runway section is supported at its ends by adj acent supporting frames G (see Fig. 5).

On the cross bars G of the supporting frames G and nearthe up-stream side thereof, are arranged angular bars J for supporting girders K made of angle iron, and supporting one, two or more stanchions L, pivotally connected near their upper ends at L to the girder K, as indicated in the drawings, to allow of swinging or of folding. the stanchions L onto the corresponding girder K. As indicated in Fig. 3, two such stanchions L are employed for each crest section,

and the two stanchions thus used are placed ily understood by reference to Fig. 3. The stanchions L are of angle iron and the side bars Gr of the sup-porting frames G are similarly shaped, so that the said side bars and the stanchions L form supports for crest face plates N resting with their lower ends in a longitudinally extending groove G formed on the top of the upstream stringer C. Thus for each crest section two stanchions L are employed, which, in connection with the adjacent side members G of the supporting frames G, support three crest face plates N. Each of the crest face plates N is adapted to be hung loosely on a stud 0 held on the girder K, to prevent the crest face plate from accidentally shifting. Each of the crest face plates N is preferably provided at its front face with a longitudinallyextending reinforcing angle iron N. Each crest plate N is provided near its upper corners with apertures N for engagement by a suitable tackle or other means employed for removing the crest face plates when it is desired to collapse the crest or when it is desired to erect the crest and replace the crest face plates N. The lower ends of the stanchions L are supported on the stringer C when the crest is erected, so that the crest is sufficiently strong to withstand the pressure of the water.

Instead of the girder K and supporting bars J, use may be made of the construction shown in Fig. 6, in which a bracket J is riveted to the runway H and is provided with a bearing J for a pin K to turn in, and which pin K is pivoted at K to a bracket K on the stanchion L. Thus, when the parts are collapsed, the stanchions are free to swing into folded position, the stanchions moving with the runways when folded or extended.

The adjacent sections of the crest are interlocked with each other by suitable means, preferably a chain P, secured at one end to one end of the runway section H and removably attached at the other end of an adjacent section of the runway H by the use of a bight or similar means P. The chain P is of considerable length, for a purpose to be presently described, and when the bent and runway forming the crest are in upright position, a short length of chain is used as a guy to hold the runway from slipping off the brackets, the said short length being engaged in a bight and the remainder of the chain is coiled up on the runway.

This chain P is adapted to be engagedbythe hook Q of a tackle Q, having its windlass Q mounted on a mast I mounted to turn on the derrick I, previously mentioned, and adapted to travel on the rails H of the runway H. The tackle Q is supported on a yard-arm I attached to the upper end of the mast I as plainly indicated in Fig. 4.

The stringer D at the clown-stream side of the dam is provided at intervals with bottom recesses or openings D for the passage of sand and other flotsam at the time the crest is collapsed and stored in the pocket formed on top of the base A between the stringers C and D.

In lowering the crest of the dam use is made of the derrick I, run along the rails H of the run-way H, the said derrick I being locked in position on any one of the sections by a locking device R (see Fig. 4). The locking device R is preferably in the shape of a screw rod clamp adapted to engage the run-way H and mounted on the platform of the derrick I, as shown in Fig. 4, the handled nut R of the screw rod clamp R serving to draw the latter tight, with a view to securely hold the derrick I temporarily immovable on the corresponding section of the run-way H. A fork or other like tool is attached to the tackle Q, and this fork is engaged with the apertures N of one of the crest face plates and then the windlass Q is actuated so that the crest plate is lifted out of place, after which the mast I is swung around and with it the crest plate, to permit of depositing or storing the same on top of the base A in the rear of the section on which the derrick I is fastened at the time. This operation is repeated for the several crest face plates N of the sections to be collapsed, and then the girder K is raised by the use of the tackle Q, and also deposited or stored in the pocket on top of the crest face plates already placed in storage in the pocket. The stanchions L are folded upon the girder K when the latter is raised, as above explained, so that the stanchions and the girder K take up com paratively little space. The derrick I is now unlocked and backed onto the next preceding section and locked in place thereon by the locking device R, after which the chain P is raised with its loose end on the run-way section on which the derrick I is fastened at the time, and then the terminal of this chain is fastened in place on this run-way section and the chain P is then engaged with the hook Q, (see Fig. 4), and the Windlass Q} is actuated, so that the runway section is lifted off its supporting brackets G and then the run-way section with the forward supporting frame G is swung downward, to fold into the pocket on top of the base A and upon the crest face plates N and the girder K, which belong to the sec tion next ahead.

In raising the crest, the slack chain P, having one end attached to a section already standing and the other end attached to a stored section of the run-way H, is grappled by the grapple hook Q] of the derrick tackle Q, and by manipulating the Windlass Q the stored run-way section H and with it its supporting frame G is swung up into position and the free end of the run-way section is placed on the supporting brackets G after which the chain P is dropped into the bight P on the runway section already in place and on which the derrick I is temporarily locked in place, so as to lock the runway section just raised in place. The girder K is next picked up from the pocket and set in place on the runway section, after which the stanchions L are swung downward in engagement with the stringer C, and then the several crest plates N are lifted consecutively from the pocket by the use of the tackle Q, and placed in position on the stanchions L and the side arms G to complete the section. When this has been done the derrick I is unlocked and moved onto the section just erected, after which the abovedescribed operation is repeated until all the sections are erected and the crest is complete across the entire length of the dam.

It is understood that the height of the crest corresponds to the difference between the normal water level and the flood level of the waters in the stream above the dam. When the crest is collapsed and its members are stored on top of the base A between the stringers C and D, then a spillway is formed extending the entire length of the dam, so as to render the headworks and canals of the waterway perfectly safe against damage by flood. When the crest is erected it forms a weir to store the water in other than flood times.

When the crest is collapsed immediately previous to the beginning of the flood time, then the surplus water, brush, logs and all flotsam of flood conditions pass over a smooth crest uninterruptedly and without clogging up or impeding the flow of the water. The top of the dam when the crest is collapsed is as much lower than the original height of the dam as the differencebetween the normal and flood water levels. As the flood subsides, the crest sections can be raised rapidly as the occasion may require, to prevent the release of too much of the necessary impounded waters.

The collapsible crest can be applied to any wooden, crib or masonry dam already in use by cutting down the structure and installing the collapsible crest thereon. In the case of wooden dams which have shown signs of weakness by age or decay, the installation of the collapsible dam will relieve the strain caused by a heavy flood and thus extend the life of the structure many years, and when a new dam is required the collapsible crest is still in condition to be successfully in-' stalled in the construction of the new dam without loss.

The collapsible metallic dam is especially desirable in the construction of new dams, as the factor of safety or strength can be reduced materially owing to the unknown lapsible dam has two main functions, that j is, to form a weir and a spill-way, by which a uniform head of water surface of any height may be constantly maintained.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A dam provided with a dam base, stringers on the top of the body at the upstream and down-stream side thereof, sup porting frames mounted to swing on the said base in the direction of the length of the base, a sectional girder held on the top of the said supporting frames, stanchions on the said stringer and adapted to reston the upstream stringer, and crest face plates removably supported on the said stanchions.

2. A dam having frames hinged to swing in the direction of the dam, and a run-way made in sections each hinged at one end to one frame and resting at its other end on the next adjacent frame, the adjacent ends of the runway sections being locked together.

3. A dam having frames hinged to swing in the direction of the dam, a run-way made in sections each hinged at one end to one frame and resting at its other end on the next adjacent frame, and a chain for connecting the adjacent ends of the run-way sections with each other.

4. A dam having frames hinged to swing in the direction of the dam, a runway made in sections each hinged at one end to one frame and resting at its other end on the next adjacent frame, a chain for connecting the adjacent ends of the run-way sections with each other, and a car having a derrick and traveling on the said runway, the derrick having means for engaging the said chain.

5. A dam having frames hinged to swing in the direction of the dam, a run-way made in sections each hinged at one end to one frame'and resting at its other end on the next adjacent frame, the adjacent ends of the run-way sections being locked together, a sectional girder removably held onthe said frames, stanchions pivoted on the said girder, and crest face plates removably'supported on the said stanchions.

6. A dam having frames hinged to swing in the direction of the dam, a run-Way made in sections each hinged at one end to one frame and resting at the other end on the next adjacent frame, the adjacent ends of the run-way sections being locked together, a sectional girder removably held on the said frame, stanchions pivoted on the said girder, crest face plates removably support-- ed on the said stanchions, and a stringer on the lip-stream side of the dam and having a groove for the reception of the lower ends of the stanchions and face plates.

7. A dam having frames hinged to swing in the direction of the dam, a run-way made in sections each hinged at one end to one frame and resting at the other end on the next adjacent frame, the adjacent ends of the run-way sections being locked together, a sectional girder relnovably held on the said frames, stanchions pivoted on the said girder, crest face plates removably supported on the said stanchions, a stringer on the up-stream side of the dam and having a groove for the reception of the lower ends I of the stanchions and face plates, and a stringer on the down-stream side of the dam, between which stringers the said frames are hinged to allow the frames to fold bet-ween the stringers.

8. A dam having frames hinged to swing in the direction of the dam, a run-way made in sections each hinged at one end to one frame and resting at the other end on the next adjacent frame, the adjacent end-s of the run-way sections being locked together, a sectional girder removably held on the said frames, stanchions pivoted on the said girder, crest face plates removably supported on the said stanchions, a stringer on the tip-stream side of the dam and having a groove for the reception of the lower ends of the stanchions and face plates. and a stringer on the down-stream side of the dam, between which stringers the said frames are hinged .to allow the frames to fold between the stringers, the said girder, stanchions and face plates being stored belapsed.

9. A collapsible dam made in sections,

each comprising a swing frame, a run-way section, a girder, stanchions and crest face plates,

10. A collapsible dam having hinged frames, run-way sections, each hinged at one its free end on the next frame, a girder removably held on the said frames and provided with pivoted stanchions, and crest face plates, resting against the said stanchions.

11. A collapsible dam having hinged frames, runway sections each hinged at one, end on one frame and adapted to rest with its free end on the next frame, a wheeled derrick mounted to travel on the said runway, and a chain attached to one end of a runway section and adapted to engage the end of the adjacent runway section, the chain being adapted to be engaged by the said derrick.

12. A collapsible darn having hinged frames, runway sections each hinged at one end on one frame and adapted to rest with its free end on the next frame, a wheeled derrick mounted to travel on the said runway, a chain attached to one end of a runway section and adapted to engage the end of the adjacent runway section, the chain being adapted to be engaged by the said derfrick, and means for temporarily locking the derrick in place on any one of the runway sections.

13. A dam having a collapsible crest consisting of interlocking sections forming a weir when erected, and a spill way when collapsed, each section comprising an inclined crest plate forthe up stream side of the dam,

and a runway supported at the upper edge of the crest plates, a frame for each section f foldable longitudinally of the dam for sup- 1 porting the crest plate and runway, and a chain connecting the sections, the said chain being fixed to one section and detachably connected with the other.

14. A dam having a collapsible crest consisting of interlocking sections forming a weir when erected, and a spill way when collapsed, each section comprising an inclined crest plate for the up stream side of the dam and a runway section supported at approximately the level of the upper edge 1 of the crest plate, a frame for each section foldable longitudinally of the dam for supporting the crest plate and the runway, a

j flexible strand connecting each adjacent pair I of sections, said strand being rigidly connected with the runway of one section and ;having a detachable connection with the runway of the adjacent section, and a stringer near each side of the dam and between which the foldable frames are hinged to fold.

tween the stringers when the dam is 001- 15. A dam having a collapsible crest consisting of interlocking sections forming a 1 weir when erected, and a spill way when collapsed, each section comprising an inclined crest plate for the up stream side of ithe dam and a runway section supported at approximately the level of the upper edge I of the crest plate, a frame for each section end on one frame and adapted to rest with foldable longitudinally of the dam for supporting the crest plate and the runway, a

flexible strand connecting each adjacent pair of sections, said strand being rigidly connected with the runway of one section and having a detachable connection with the runway of the adjacent section.

16. Adam having a collapsible crest consisting of interlocking sect-ions forming a weir when erected and a spill way when collapsed, each sect-ion consisting of an inclined crest for the up stream side of the dam and a runway supported at the upper edge of the crest plate, a frame for each section foldable longitudinally of the dam for supporting the crest plate and the run- .llO

way, a detachable flexible connection between the adjacent sections, each foldable frame having a supporting bar inclining upwardly from the frame toward the crest JOHN CAMPBELL VVHEELON.

plate, and an angleplate girder having one Witnesses: face engaging the supporting bars, the crest R. L. BUsH, plate resting against the other side. B. H. PHELPS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. t 

